My best desires are faint and few :

I fain would strive for more;
But when I cry, “My strength renew,”

Seem weaker than before.
Thy saints are comforted, I know,

And love thy house of prayer;
I, therefore, go where others go,

But find no comfort there.
O make this heart rejoice or ache,

Decide this doubt for me;
And, if it be not broken, break,

And heal it if it be.

184

,

And smiling day once more appears,
Then, my Redeemer, then I find
The folly of my doubts and fears.
I chide my unbelieving heart,
And blush that I should ever be
Thus prone to act so base a part,
Or harbour one hard thought of thee.
O let me then at length be taught,
(What I am still so slow to learn),
That God is love and changes not,
Nor knows the shadow of a turn.
Sweet truth, and easy to repeat !-
But when my faith is sharply tried,
I find myself a learner yet,
Unskilful, weak, and apt to slide.

But, O my Lord, one look from thee
Subdues the disobedient will;
Drives doubt and discontent away,
And thy rebellious child is still !
Thou art as ready to forgive
As I am ready to repine ;
Thou, therefore, all the praise receive;
Be shame and self-abhorrence mine.

185

Wherefore art thou thus cast down? Let thy grief be turn'd to gladness;

Bid thy restless fears be gone: Look to Jesus, and rejoice in his dear name. What tho' Satan's strong temptations

Vex and tease thee, day by day : And thy sinful inclinations

Often fill thee with dismay; Thou shalt conquer, thro' the Lamb's redeem

ing blood. Tho' ten thousand ills beset thee

From without and from within, Jesus saith, he'll ne'er forget thee,

But will save from hell and sin;
He is faithful, to perform his gracious word.
Tho' distresses now attend thee,

And thou tread'st the thorny road;
His right hand shall still defend thee;

Soon he'll bring thee home to God: Therefore praise him; praise the great Re

deemer's name.

186

O

No relief can find,
Trust in God, and borrow

Ease for heart and mind.
Where the mourner, weeping,

Sheds the secret tear,
God his watch is keeping,

Though no one else is near.
God will never leave us,

All our wants he knows,
Feels the pains that grieve us,

Sees our cares and woes :
When in grief we languish,

He will dry the tear,
Who his children's anguish

Soothes with succour near.
All our woe and sadness

In this world below,
Balance not the gladness

We in heaven shall know,
When our gracious Saviour

In the realms above,
Crowns us with his favour,

Fills us with his love. 187

S when the weary traveller gains

The height of some commanding hill, His heart revives, if o'er the plains He sees his home though distant still; So when the Christian pilgrim views By faith his mansion in the skies; That sight his fainting strength renews, And wings his speed to reach the prize.

A

The hope of heav'n his spirit cheers ;
No more he grieves for sorrows past;
Nor
any

future conflict fears,
So he may safe arrive at last.
O Lord, on thee our hopes we stay,
To lead us on to thine abode;
Assured thy love will far o'erpay
The hardest labours of the road.

188

S pants the heart for cooling streams,

So longs my soul, O God, for thee,

And thy refreshing grace.
For thee, my God, the living God,

My thirsty soul doth pine:
O when shall I behold thy face,

Thou Majesty divine!
Why restless, why cast down, my soul ?

Trust God, who will employ
His aid for thee, and change these sighs

To thankful hymns of joy.
Why restless, why cast down, my soul ?

Hope still, and thou shalt sing
The praise of him who is thy God,

Thy health's eternal spring. 189

YHALL we grow weary in our watch,

And murmur at the long delay,
Impatient of our Father's time,

And his appointed way?

Oh, oft a deeper test of faith
Than prison-cell, or martyr's stake,
The self-renouncing watchfulness
Of silent

prayer may make.
We gird us bravely, to rebuke
Our erring brother in the wrong;
And in the ear of pride and power

Our warning voice is strong.
Easier to smite with Peter's sword
Than watch one hour in humbling prayer;
Life's great things, like the Syrian lord,

Our hearts can do and dare :
But, oh, we shrink from Jordan's side,
From waters which alone can save;
And murmur for A bana's banks,

And Pharpar's brighter wave.
O Thou, who in the garden's shade
Didst wake thy weary ones again
Who slumber'd at that fearful hour,

Forgetful of thy pain,-
Bend o’er us now, as over them,
And set our sleep-bound spirits free,
Nor leave us slumbering in the watch

Our souls should keep with Thee ! 190

JESUS, still lead on

Till our rest be won;
And although the way be cheerless,
We will follow, calm and fearless :

Guide us by thy hand
To our Fatherland.

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